Kellogg’s Omaha manufacturing plant is shown Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Omaha, Neb. Kellogg’s announced on Tuesday it would be closing the Omaha manufacturing plant by end of 2026. (Nikos Frazier/Omaha World-Herald via AP)

WK Kellogg Co. is closing one U.S. cereal plant and downsizing another as part of a plan to consolidate its operations in newer facilities.

The company said Tuesday it will close its Omaha, Nebraska, plant by the end of 2026. It also plans to scale back production at its plant in Memphis, Tennessee, starting next year.

WK Kellogg said it will increase production and invest in new infrastructure, equipment and technology at its plants in Battle Creek, Michigan; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Belleville, Ontario. The company said it plans to invest $390 million in new technology and infrastructure and will incur a one-time charge of $110 million in restructuring costs.

Battle Creek-based WK Kellogg said the plan will result in a net loss of 550 jobs, a number that includes hirings at the plants that will increase production. The company didn’t immediately respond when asked Tuesday how many workers would lose their jobs in Omaha and Memphis.

In a statement, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said she didn’t learn of the planned closure until Tuesday morning.

“I’m certainly disappointed that Kellogg’s would make such a significant announcement this way,” Stothert said. “After more than 75 years in Omaha, Kellogg’s will leave a big void.”

WK Kellogg’s Omaha plant was the epicenter of a strike against the company in 2021, when workers walked off the job for two months to protest a two-tier wage structure and other issues. At one point, Kellogg sued its union, saying striking workers were blocking entrances to the Omaha plant.

The strike ended in late 2021 when the company agreed to raises and other benefits.

The reorganization comes amid a decline in U.S. demand for cereal. Cereal sales boomed during the pandemic, when families were home and eating breakfast together. But they have struggled since then. Unit sales of cereal have fallen 4.2% over the last year and fell 3.6% the year before that, according to Nielsen IQ, a market researcher.

WK Kellogg Co. was formed last year when its former parent the Kellogg Co. — which was founded in 1906 — split into two companies. WK Kellogg retained the cereal business, including brands like Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, Rice Krispies and Raisin Bran. Kellanova, based in Chicago, houses many of the company’s best-sellers, including Pop-Tarts, Pringles, Eggo waffles and Cheez-Its.

WK Kellogg said Tuesday its net sales fell 4% to $672 million in the April-June period. The company got some boost from higher pricing and growing sales of premium products like Special K Zero. But its overall sales volumes fell by 4.8%, and the company said it felt some pressure from store-brand cereals as customers sought better value.

WK Kellogg shares dropped more than 7% Tuesday.

Appearing at a news conference in Philadelphia on March 15, 2022. Photo courtesy of Pa Media Services.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate disappointed fans of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was one of Harris’ finalists for the job and seen as someone who could help Democrats win a key swing state and make history by electing the first Jewish vice president.

With his history of winning three statewide elections in Pennsylvania, Shapiro was seen as someone with particular appeal to moderate voters. His state’s 19 votes in the Electoral College have long been critical for candidates trying to reach the necessary 270 to win.

But the same things about Shapiro that appealed to moderates angered some on the left in his party: his support for a private school voucher program and natural gas infrastructure as well as particularly his support for Israel’s war in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

Some Democrats lamented what they said was a missed opportunity by bypassing Shapiro. Republicans, meanwhile, tried to paint Harris’ choice as a snub to Jewish voters, a traditionally Democratic constituency that former President Donald Trump has tried to court in this year’s race.

“Not only is he exceptionally smart and capable, but, in my opinion, he brought the math to the path of 270,” said Ryan Bizzarro, 38-year-old Democratic state lawmaker from Erie, Pennsylvania, said of Shapiro.

Shapiro spoke at a rally in Philadelphia Tuesday night before the new Democratic ticket took the stage, with the Pennsylvania governor receiving big applause from thousands of attendees.

“I love you Philly. You know what else I love, I love being your governor,” Shapiro said.

He added, “I am going to continue pouring my heart and soul into continuing to serve you every single day as your governor.”

Shapiro also praised Walz as a great man with strong midwestern values, calling him a friend he said he couldn’t wait for Pennsylvanians to get to know.

Walz returned the compliment when he took the stage later with Harris in Philadelphia.

“My God, what a treasure you have in Josh Shapiro,” he said. “Holy hell, can this guy bring the fire.”

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, who advocated fiercely but unsuccessfully for Shapiro, also spoke at the event and said Democrats should not let Republicans and detractors divide them over the pick.

“Our Democratic nominee has spoken and that’s it. Period. End of story,” Parker said.

Republicans try to ta

ke advantage of Shapiro not being picked

A number of high-profile Republicans sought to seize on the liberal pushback Shapiro faced over his stance on Israel, suggesting Tuesday that Shapiro was not picked as Harris’ running mate because of antisemitic attitudes in the Democratic Party.

Trump, the Republican nominee, has been sharply criticized for his record on antisemitism, notably his suggestion that there were “fine people on both sides” of an antisemitic march in Charlottesville, Virginia, and his dinner with white nationalist Nick Fuentes at his Mar-a-Lago residence in 2022.

The former president recently suggested Harris “doesn’t like Jewish people” even though her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, is Jewish, and seemed to agree with a radio host who called Emhoff “a crappy Jew.”

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, told reporters in Philadelphia on Tuesday that it seemed Harris didn’t pick Shapiro because Democrats feared “grassroots activists in their party wouldn’t take a Jewish nominee.”

Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss, who is Jewish and was excited at the prospect of a Jewish vice president, praised Walz and criticized Republicans for framing her decision as a slight against Jewish Democrats.

“I’ve seen the discourse on the right saying that there’s clearly no room for Jews in Democratic politics,” said Moss. “I defy any one of them to name a single Jewish Republican governor or a single Jewish Republican U.S. senator. They can’t, because there are none.”

The last Jewish Republican senator was former Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, who left office in 2009. Missouri’s former Republican Gov. Eric Greitens is Jewish, but he resigned in 2018.

Arab American leaders who had publicly cautioned against picking Shapiro countered claims that the opposition was based on the governor’s Jewish background and said his positions on Israel and statements on campus protests went further than other candidates, particularly Walz.

Abdullah Hammoud, the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, noted that the Arab American community overwhelmingly voted for Jewish politicians in the past, backing former Democratic Rep. Andy Levin and twice supporting former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, the independent Vermont senator.

“It’s certainly not antisemitic to critique somebody’s position on Israeli policy,” Hammoud said. “That’s just called stewardship and accountability.”

Most Jewish Americans vote Democratic and are still poised to rally around the Democratic ticket, even without Shapiro.

Only 30% of Jewish voters supported Trump in 2020, while 69% supported Biden, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of the electorate. That made Jewish voters one of the religious groups where support for Biden was strongest.

The Jewish Democratic Council of America, which held an online rally for Harris last week, issued a statement in support of Walz on Tuesday, calling him “an exceptional choice” and noting he and Harris “align with the vast majority of Jewish voters on every key issue, including Israel and antisemitism.”

Shapiro remains a key Democratic asset for this year’s campaign

Shapiro is a popular first-term governor who two years ago was elected in a battleground state that is seen as critical to Democrats’ path to win the White House. The 51-year-old emerged in recent days as a finalist on Harris’ speedy search for a running mate, winning fans in the party for his speaking style that evoked former President Barack Obama.

With his background as a former state attorney general, like Harris, he also stood out for his forceful defenses of the White House and critiques of Trump.

He is a staunch proponent of abortion rights but is also seen as a moderate on energy policy, a significant issue in his natural gas producing state.

Shapiro has professed solidarity with Israel in its campaign to eliminate Hamas and has aggressively confronted what he saw as antisemitism appearing at pro-Palestinian demonstrations. In recent days, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on a column he wrote for his college newspaper saying Palestinians were “too battle-minded” to coexist with Israel.

Jonathan Sarna, professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, said that as the opposition to Shapiro over his position on Israel became more vocal, “suddenly this decision took on new significance.”

Nathan Diament, the executive director of public policy for the Orthodox Union, an umbrella group of Orthodox Jews in the U.S., said “It’s a bit disappointing” a Jewish candidate won’t be on the ticket.

“Certainly, it would have been exciting if that had happened for a second time,” he said, referencing Joseph Lieberman’s run with Al Gore in 2000.

Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said in a post on X that it was “ridiculous” for people to claim Harris, whom she noted was married to a Jewish man, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, didn’t pick Shapiro because of antisemitism.

“There are two crowds using Jews as political footballs here: The far-left that singled out Shapiro (despite Israel policies largely aligned with Walz and others) AND the swarm of right-wingers now claiming Harris/Dems are antisemitic,” she wrote. “Neither is credible.”

State Sen. Sharif Street of Philadelphia said that Walz’s values, including on abortion and gun control, align more with Philadelphians than those of Vance or Trump. And he believes his retail political skills will help carry the state, even without Shapiro on the ticket.

“Look, Gov. Shapiro’s a rockstar in this state. People love him,” said Street, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party chair and the son of former Mayor John Street.

“But he will still be out there campaigning for this ticket. They haven’t lost Josh Shapiro.”

___

Associated Press reporters Tiffany Stanley in Washington, Peter Smith in Pittsburgh, Meg Kinnard and Will Weissert in Philadelphia and Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, contributed to this report.

Gas prices are three cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.713 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                         $3.713
Average price during the week of July 29, 2024                                               $3.742
Average price during the week of August 7, 2023                                            $3.909

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:      

$3.537      Altoona
$3.805      Beaver
$3.854      Bradford
$3.466      Brookville
$3.618      Butler
$3.616      Clarion
$3.676      DuBois
$3.640      Erie
$3.715      Greensburg
$3.784      Indiana
$3.727      Jeannette
$3.834      Kittanning
$3.821      Latrobe
$3.687      Meadville
$3.822      Mercer
$3.669      New Castle
$3.544      New Kensington
$3.833      Oil City
$3.743      Pittsburgh
$3.686      Sharon
$3.773      Uniontown
$3.843      Warren
$3.698      Washington

Trend Analysis:
The national average for a gallon of gas dipped three cents since last week to $3.47.  The drop comes as Hurricane Debby has made landfall today in Florida but so far, has had no significant impact on oil production. Today’s national average is four cents less than a month ago and 36 cents less than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand slid from 9.45 million barrels per day to 9.25 last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks fell from 227.4 to 223.8 million barrels. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 10.0 million barrels per day.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate rose by $3.18 cents to settle at $77.91 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories decreased by 3.4 million barrels from the previous week. At 433.0 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 4% below the five-year average for this time of year.

FILE – The icon for the video sharing TikTok app is seen on a smartphone, on Feb. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

The Justice Department sued TikTok on Friday, accusing the company of violating children’s online privacy law and running afoul of a settlement it had reached with another federal agency.

The complaint, filed together with the Federal Trade Commission in a California federal court, comes as the U.S. and the prominent social media company are embroiled in yet another legal battle that will determine if – or how – TikTok will continue to operate in the country.

The latest lawsuit focuses on allegations that TikTok, a trend-setting platform popular among young users, and its China-based parent company ByteDance violated a federal law that requires kid-oriented apps and websites to get parental consent before collecting personal information of children under 13. It also says the companies failed to honor requests from parents who wanted their children’s accounts deleted, and chose not to delete accounts even when the firms knew they belonged to kids under 13.

“This action is necessary to prevent the defendants, who are repeat offenders and operate on a massive scale, from collecting and using young children’s private information without any parental consent or control,” Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, said in a statement.

TikTok said it disagreed with the allegations, “many of which relate to past events and practices that are factually inaccurate or have been addressed.”

“We offer age-appropriate experiences with stringent safeguards, proactively remove suspected underage users and have voluntarily launched features such as default screentime limits, Family Pairing, and additional privacy protections for minors,” the company said in a statement.

The U.S. decided to file the lawsuit following an investigation by the FTC that looked into whether the companies were complying with a previous settlement involving TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly.

In 2019, the federal government sued Musical.ly, alleging it violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, by failing to notify parents about its collection and use of personal information for kids under 13.

That same year, Musical.ly — acquired by ByteDance in 2017 and merged with TikTok — agreed to pay $5.7 million to resolve those allegations. The two companies were also subject to a court order requiring them to comply with COPPA, which the government says hasn’t happened.

In the complaint, the Justice Department and the FTC allege TikTok has knowingly allowed children to create accounts and retained their personal information without notifying their parents. This practice extends to accounts created in “Kids Mode,” a version of TikTok for children under 13. The feature allows users to view videos but bars them from uploading content.

The two agencies allege the information collected included activities on the app and other identifiers used to build user profiles. They also accuse TikTok of sharing the data with other companies – such as Meta’s Facebook and an analytics company called AppsFlyer – to persuade “Kids Mode” users to be on the platform more, a practice TikTok called “re-targeting less active users.”

The complaint says TikTok also allowed children to create accounts without having to provide their age, or obtain parental approval, by using credentials from third-party services. It classified these as “age unknown” accounts, which the agencies say have grown into millions.

After parents discovered some of their children’s accounts and asked for them to be deleted, federal officials said TikTok asked them to go through a convoluted process to deactivate them and frequently did not honor their requests.

Overall, the government said TikTok employed deficient policies that were unable to prevent children’s accounts from proliferating on its app and suggested the company was not taking the issue seriously. In at least some periods since 2019, the complaint said TikTok’s human moderators spent an average of five to seven seconds reviewing accounts flagged as potentially belonging to a child. It also said TikTok and ByteDance have technology they can use to identify and remove children’s accounts, but do not use them for that reason.

The alleged violations have resulted in millions of children under 13 using the regular TikTok app, allowing them to interact with adults and access adult content, the complaint said.

In March, a person with the matter had told the AP the FTC’s investigation was also looking into whether TikTok violated a portion of federal law that prohibits “unfair and deceptive” business practices by denying that individuals in China had access to U.S. user data.

Those allegations were not included in the complaint, which is asking the court to fine the companies and enter a preliminary injunction to prevent future violations.

Other social media companies have also come under fire for how they’ve handled children’s data.

In 2019, Google and YouTube agreed to pay a $170 million fine to settle allegations that the popular video site had illegally collected personal information on children without their parents’ consent.

And last fall, dozens of U.S. states sued Meta Platforms Inc., which owns Facebook and Instagram, for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. A lawsuit filed by 33 states claims that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of COPPA. Nine attorneys general are also filing lawsuits in their respective states, bringing the total number of states taking action to 41 plus Washington, D.C.

Harrisburg, PA — Following his work to expand the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program for the first time in nearly 20 years, Governor Josh Shapiro today announced that more than 100,000 first-time filers of the program have already submitted their rebate applications this year. That means that a sizable group of older Pennsylvanians and residents with disabilities will be receiving critical relief from the PTRR program for the very first time thanks to the bipartisan expansion passed last year.

In total, as of today, the Department of Revenue has received more than 515,000 rebate applications applying for relief on property taxes and rent paid in the prior year. That represents a 22 percent increase in applications from the same time period last year — and nearly 94 percent of rebates received to date have already been approved for payment.

“After hearing from seniors across the Commonwealth that they were struggling with rising costs, we took action in my first year in office to expand the Property Tax Rent Rebate program to ensure that it continues to serve as a lifeline for older Pennsylvanians. We are now seeing the impact of that important work — more than 100,000 Pennsylvanians who missed out on this benefit in the past have submitted their rebate applications this year,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “At the same time, there are many more Pennsylvanians who are eligible for a rebate but have not yet submitted an application. I want everyone to know that they can go to pa.gov/PTRR today to check their eligibility and learn how to apply for a rebate. You still have plenty of time before the December 31 deadline.”

“Our agency has administered the PTRR program for more than 50 years, so we know firsthand how important these rebates are to older Pennsylvanians and residents with disabilities. We are thrilled to see that Governor Shapiro’s work to expand the program is making a significant difference and opening the door to so many new applicants,” said Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne. “Our employees have been working extremely hard throughout the first seven months of the year to ensure that we’re providing as much customer support as we can to the people who benefit from this program. We are going to keep that up through the remainder of the year so that we can help as many eligible Pennsylvanians as possible.”

Eligibility/How to File

The PTRR program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The table below shows how much homeowners and renters who fit this criteria are eligible for, depending on their income:

Submitting your application online through myPATH — in English or Spanish — is easy and does not require you to sign up for an account. Filing online gives you instant confirmation that your claim has been successfully filed. Applicants also will have access to automatic calculators and other helpful features that are not available through the paper application.

It’s free to apply for a rebate and assistance is available at hundreds of locations across the state: Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, and state legislators’ offices. You must reapply for a rebate every year as they are based on annual income and property taxes or rent paid during the prior year.

The easiest way to check the status of your rebate is to use the Where’s My Rebate? tool on myPATH. To check on the status of your claim, you will need your Social Security number, claim year, and date of birth.

About the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program

Governor Josh Shapiro signed into law a historic expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program, which means more Pennsylvanians now qualify — and at the same time — the vast majority who qualified in prior years will see their rebates increase. This was the first time the program has been expanded since 2006. The expansion:

• Increases the maximum standard rebate to $1,000.

• Increases the income cap for both homeowners and renters to $45,000.

• Increases the income cap to grow with inflation each year moving forward.

To raise awareness of the expanded program and help eligible Pennsylvanians complete their rebate applications, the Department of Revenue held nearly 300 events at senior/community centers to provide in-person filing assistance. This is in addition to the support that is available at Revenue district offices and other locations.

Since its inception in 1971, the PTRR program has delivered more than $8 billion in property tax and rent relief to some of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents. The PTRR program is supported by the Pennsylvania Lottery and receives funding from gaming.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Youngstown, Ohio, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges  of distributing fentanyl resulting in death and conspiring to distribute large quantities of fentanyl,  fluorofentanyl, and cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. 

Eliot Gentry, 27, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab to distributing fentanyl resulting in the death of an individual in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, on  January 23, 2022, and conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of  fluorofentanyl, and five kilograms or more of cocaine from May 2021 to October 2022.  

Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for December 4, 2024. The law provides for a maximum  total sentence of not less than 20 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both.  Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness  of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. 

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the  United States. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States  Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County  Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police  Department, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of  Gentry. 

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published August 7, 2024 11:52 A.M.

(Beaver, Pa) Jason Dick, 35, of Beaver died from blunt force trauma to the head, neck, trunk, and extremities, according to Coroner David J. Gabauer. The man along with 2 friends were crossing the train bridge that runs from Monaca to Beaver when a train struck the victim just after midnight Tuesday.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing overnight paving operations in both directions on Interstate 79 in Franklin Park Borough and Marshall Township, Allegheny County will occur Wednesday and Thursday nights, August 7-8 weather permitting.

Crews will conduct milling and paving operations to patch potholes requiring single-lane restrictions on Interstate 79 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night according to the following schedule:

• Wednesday night, August 7 – northbound I-79 from approximately one half-mile south of the Route 910/Wexford (Exit 73) exit continuing to the northbound off-ramp
• Thursday night, August 8 – southbound I-79 from approximately one half-mile north of the Route 910/Wexford (Exit 73) exit continuing to the southbound off-ramp

Ramp access will be maintained. Please use caution when traveling through the area.